A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

Before my daughter was born, I use to sing this song to her over and over again.  Because you see – she, my daughter – was one the dreams I carried deep within my heart.  At a very young age I was told my road to motherhood might be more complicated. After pursuing a variety of tests and numerous medical opinions from professionals up and down the east coast, it was determined that I could safely pursue pregnancy without being considered additionally high risk.

You can image the immense joy and relief experienced that day after a lifetime of uncertainty.

This song was both my gift to my daughter (words of unwavering encouragement) but also myself (relief). Encouraging because I wanted her to grow up believing that our most cherished dreams are always worth pursuing and relief because motherhood – for me – would soon be much more than a dream – it would become a reality.

You may be wondering what in the world this story has to do with growing your small business but I can assure you – it represents the journey of small business growth in more than one way.

The story highlights so much of what we feel when we desire success for a dream we’ve been cultivating deep within our hearts. You know the one you’ve stayed up all night mapping out. The one full of late nights, early mornings, lost weekends because you believe in it with every ounce of your being. The one others told you would fail. The one they encouraged you to leave behind in pursuit of safer alternatives.  The one you are determined to see succeed because it has essentially become a part of you.

So with this dream and unwavering determination you embark on a journey of discovery. You commit to seeking out tools, resources, advice – in every way/shape/form to help bring your dream to fruition. And no matter how many times you feel unsure of what you are doing – you commit over and over again to making this big, bold, beautiful dream happen.

Can you relate?

This story represents a never giving up perspective – and a desire to continuously pursue what we believe to be worthwhile.

Well I am here to tell you, I was you – friend – when I started my business. I had been living some of my hardest days – many of which ended in tears. I wanted nothing more than to radically change the trajectory of my life and pursue a livelihood and business that aligned with what brought me joy, what allowed for creativity, and what freed me from the 9-5 pursuit of chasing the dream of someone else. I wanted to be the captain of my life and the decisions that were made on a daily basis. And so I dove in – in a little coffee shop in Philadelphia – took a few risks and poured my heart into figuring out when it means to own your own business.

The story of my journey to entrepreneurship and motherhood reflects a spirit and desire to pursue a dream with an unwavering commitment – but neither ends with pregnancy/having the baby or gaining clients.

The dream(s) were born and pursued but once they came to fruition both were met with so many unknowns. Like stop you in your tracks, knock your breath out, make you question whether you are enough unknowns. This is when the real growth took place – in those hard how will I ever do this moments.

In the years since starting my business, I’ve grown leaps and bounds, learned a few tips/tricks along the way, and radically transformed my business, my personal life, and challenged myself to continue to pursue some pretty big dreams in the year ahead. And for the first time, I am opening up my calendar to help other small businesses owners that possess all the heart, gumption, and drive to make some big dreams come to life this year.

The best way to grow your small business is through gaining clarity around your business trajectory and finding your course through the development of a strategic plan to help define and refine both small and big victories.

Enter mentorship and masterminds – there is something uniquely powerful about investing in yourself. Small business ownership can feel like your on an island – wearing all the hats, trying to figure out all the various aspects of running a business, and hoping to make it. But with educational investment you gain clarity around uncertainties, wisdom from others who have walked or are walking a similar path, and one on one perspective to help you hone in on action steps to make things happen.

The DJco Mentorship Experience

So what exactly does a DJco mentorship entail? It’s a highly customized 1:1 coaching program that seeks to empower you with tools, confidence, and accountability to reach some of your biggest business goals. Do you ever feel like you have all these dreams but are unsure how to get there? Do you wish you could work with someone 1:1 to create a roadmap to take you from where you are today to where you want to be 3 months, 6 months, a year from now? This is what a DJco mentorship is geared towards. I want to sit with you and help get devise a strategic plan that will empower you to move from point A to point B – so you can live the life you’ve always dreamed of.

The program is designed to work with small business owners for at least three months – as this will allow us to really dig into those dreams in a heartfelt and strategic way. We kick off our time together with a 60+ minute Facetime or Google hangout to map out goals for our time together, discuss barriers, and create an action based roadmap complete with the strategic approach that will help make your dreams a reality. Together, we hold bi-weekly check in calls to discuss progress, troubleshoot barriers/frustrations, and to ensure we are on track based on the roadmap.

The mentorship also includes unlimited access via Voxer and weekly check emails to ensure smaller deadlines are met and to help overcome barriers that could be holding you back.

I am opening up my spring calendar for mentorships that will start in April. If you’re interested in hopping on a complimentary discovery call to learn more about whether this would be a good fit for you, get in touch here (using the form at the bottom of the page). I can’t wait to help you make your dreams a reality this year!

Images from the talented Ali & Paul co – from one of my favorites this past summer. They represent the behind the scenes work of vendors pursuing their dreams while making wedding day magic for the sweetest couple.

Planning & Design – Your Sweetest Day Events 

Photography – Ali & Paul co

Beauty (HMU) – Unfading Beauty by Kristen

Florals – Forte Florals